


Alone at a Table for Two

by ProcrastinatingArtist



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers - Freeform, BFF Sam Wilson, F/M, Fluff, Mamma Barton to the rescue, Mood Swings, Panicking, Pregnancy, Sam Wilson is precious and should be cherished, Unplanned Pregnancy, clint is full of shit but i love him, hiding pregnancy from Steve because he's not there to ask questions, i dont know how to write angst to save my life, panic! at the baby, pregnancy hormones, shennanagins?, supersoldier-sperm conquers all, that doesn't mean im not gonna try a little though, they seem to be panicking in every chapter now, why didnt i have the fluff tag in here yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2019-06-21 14:26:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15559734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProcrastinatingArtist/pseuds/ProcrastinatingArtist
Summary: After a tipsy one-night-stand with Steve Rogers, Darcy discovers she's pregnant. He's away on a goodwill mission and she doesn't know when he'll be back. She also doesn't know what to do.





	1. Chapter 1

Uh-oh.

 

This never happened. Never to her, anyways. 

 

She took precautions. She was always careful about these kinds of things. 

 

There’s no way this happened. But apparently, there was.  _ Damn supersoldiers. _

 

“Darcy, could you check the astro- sorry, the  _ thingamadoohicky _ for any new readings?” Jane called, oblivious to the other woman’s inner turmoil but remembering to use Darcy’s name for her machinery. Ever since the Avengers shipped out to deal with some intercontinental turmoil or treaty or what-have-you, Jane’s been working non-stop despite Darcy’s best efforts to the contrary.  _ It’s like she’s possessed by the Energizer Bunny. _

 

It’s not like Darcy doesn’t understand. With all the pretty, pretty men gone, a girl’s got to find something to do with all the time she used to spend staring at them. Jane’s just become, if at all possible,  _ more _ focused on her work, and Darcy can hardly get her to eat, let alone sleep. Darcy’s always been a fan of doing as little as it took to get whatever needed to be done. “Work smarter, not harder” is her long-held motto. Very little can encourage her to give it up, though life-threatening situations and one very yummy Avenger can cause her to question it.

 

And there she was, thinking about him again. She shook her head violently, as though the memory of him could be shaken loose with a little head jiggle. The only thing she achieved was igniting another headache. Groaning - as she couldn’t take more Tylenol for another two hours - she did as Jane asked.  _ Maybe Jane had the right of it _ , she thought.  _ Time to get to work. _

 

\--

 

Four days and six tests later, she knew her suspicions were correct. 

 

Darcy Marie Lewis, Lightning Sister of Thor, Wrangler of Scientists and Wielder of the Taser, was pregnant.

 

“But I only slept with him once!” she muttered as she washed her hands. Leaving the bathroom - and all the evidence she did  _ not _ want to think about - behind, she flopped on the sofa of her tiny apartment and flipped on the tv. 

 

A Viagra ad was playing. “Ha! Don’t need that.” She jabbed the remote, which at first didn’t respond, causing her to repeatedly bash her thumb into the channel button until she finally started banging the whole thing on the coffee table in front of her. 

 

That’s how Pepper Pots found her. Pepper, used to Tony’s antics when he’s tinkering with cars or suits or robots, much prefers the company of Jane in similar moods because Jane doesn’t listen to mind-numbingly loud electric guitars and answers in complete - if wandering - sentences. While Tony was out with the other men and Natasha, Pepper occasionally drops in on Jane and Darcy just to enjoy the nostalgia and company of the two women.

 

This time, Jane - not realizing Darcy wasn’t there, so deep in her project as she was - called for some gadget Darcy surely invented the name of and Pepper had no idea what it was. The result smelled of burnt electricity, though was only a small setback in Jane’s work, and Pepper left to find out where Darcy was.

 

Being admitted to Darcy’s apartment by the AI and witnessing smiling men on tv, the words “erectile dysfunction,” and Darcy destroying her remote … well, Pepper was not expecting it.

 

“Uh, hello, Darcy. How are you today?” She asked, though she thought she knew the answer. To her surprise, Darcy started crying. “Oh.” Unsure how to deal with emotional women she cared about - Tony and his occasionally unhinged conquests of the past do not fall into both of those categories - Pepper sat gingerly next to her and patted her back. “Shh. It’s ok.”

 

Darcy buried her face into Pepper’s shoulder and cried harder, though the smell of Jane’s slightly-exploded lab brought her up short. “What happened?”

 

Pepper almost laughed. “I think I should be asking you that question.”

 

Darcy sniffled and shook her head petulantly. “Nuh-uh, I asked first.”

 

“I couldn’t figure out what a ‘whatsit’ was fast enough.”

 

Darcy’s eyes widened as she said, “Oh no!”

 

Smiling, Pepper replied, “It wasn’t that bad. Jane says she just has to fix the fried parts and she’s back where she was. Now, what’s all the tears about? And what did the poor remote do to you?”

 

Remembering the device in her hands, Darcy very deliberately pressed the power button and the tv - selling something for “four easy payments of nineteen ninety-nine” - miraculously turned off. Setting it precisely on the table, she answered, “I couldn’t get it to work. My eyes seem to have gotten the wrong message.”

 

Pepper eyed her, but didn’t say anything. The dark circles under Darcy’s eyes and the absent fiddling of her hands were signs she recognized from Tony, but she couldn’t see restless insomnia being Darcy’s current issue. Filing it away for further thought, she stood up. “Well, I think it’s time for lunch. Care to join me?”

 

\--

 

She doesn’t know how much longer she can hide the pregnancy. It’s not so much the size of her she’s worried about - her Google searches seem to imply she could conceivably look inconspicuous until at least the fourth or fifth month - but her emotional state. She cries at almost everything now, and she’s running out of excuses. Jane’s taken to playing soft music to cover her sniffles, since she won’t tell her why she’s crying. 

 

Darcy can’t even figure out whether she  _ should _ hide the pregnancy. Part of her wants to wait until she can tell  _ him _ , but she thinks that’s the part of her that enjoys trashy romance novels. Another part of her isn’t even sure she wants to keep it. But that would mean going to a clinic and telling a bunch of strangers she accidentally got knocked up by someone who probably has bionic sperm and maybe the baby won’t die because of it.  _ That _ would be a fun conversation.

 

Geez. Now she’s thinking about dead babies and crying again.

 

And she’s tired  _ all the time _ . If she sits still too long, she’ll pass out. Sometimes, she even dozes off walking down the hallway, ending up in random places and calling to the ceiling for directions. 

 

She’s mostly grateful she’s missed out on the morning sickness so far. The last thing she needs is to also have to come up with explanations for constantly running to the bathroom with a hand clamped over her mouth.

 

It’s been six weeks. Six weeks since she slept with him. Six weeks since that night, her slightly tipsy and unable to resist him, his golden hair shining softly and those beautiful baby blues and that cheeky grin asking to kiss her.  _ It’s his fault for being irresistible _ , she thought bitterly. Darcy had decided the morning after - when she woke up in bed, naked and alone, with only a note saying he’d been called out for Avengers stuff and would be in touch when he could - that she wouldn’t even think his name.

 

Four weeks since she was late for her period. She’s never late.

 

Three and a half weeks since she had irrefutable proof. 

 

She even splurged on a digital test to be sure. She’s still got the display screen, with it’s little smiley face and and a “1-2,” indicating less than 2 weeks since conception. Who decided to put a smiley face on it? Who decided this was universally a happy thing?  _ Men _ , she thought, emotions flipping to indignation faster than a blink.  _ Men should take the pregnancy test. They’re always the ones happy to find out they’re expecting. _

 

With that little piece of nonsense fluttering around in her head, Darcy thunked it on the table in front of her. 

 

“Careful. I hear that’s how you lose brain cells,” a male voice commented.

 

Darcy gasped and jerked upright, then slumped and she recognized him. Samuel Thomas Wilson, the Falcon, and Current Pain in Her Ass.

 

_ Ok, that was uncalled for, _ she thought.  _ How about, “Usual Pain in My Ass”? _

 

“Hey Sam. When’d you get in?” Darcy suddenly panicked. She hadn’t made any decisions yet, and now she’s run out of time. 

 

“About two hours ago. Fury sent home a few of us, since we weren’t doing anything except getting in the way. Steve may be used to being a dancing monkey, but the rest of us sure aren’t.” He grinned at her. “What say you and I send him a pic? Maybe he’ll get it in the middle of the meeting and try to dig his phone out of that second skin he insists on wearing everywhere.”

 

Darcy flashed through emotions so fast, she thinks she got whiplash. Relief, guilt, outrage, then (surprisingly) arousal. Relief because he wasn’t here, so she didn’t have to decide yet; guilt because she didn’t want to make a decision and he deserved more than that; outrage because he was in  _ freaking meetings _ and  _ couldn’t just text her once to let her know everyone’s not dead or something??!!  _ Arousal because something about his uniform turned her on.

 

Sam wasn’t quite sure what to make of her expression. Her body language still said relief, but her face was turning an interesting shade of red. “Hey, you ok? We don’t have to do the pic if you don’t want-”

 

“No, I do,” she interrupted. Plastering her usual grin on her face, she walked around the desk and wrapped an arm around his waist. 

 

“Oh.  _ Oh, _ ok, we gettin’ comfy in here. C’mere girl.” Sam draped his arm across her shoulders as she tilted her head onto his shoulder, cheerful grin still in place as he snapped the selfie. 

 

Returning to her seat, Darcy asked, “Who else came back?”

 

Sam was distracted by the photo at first, noting the manic gleam in her eyes even though the rest of her seemed normal. Sending it to Steve, he answered, “Vis, Wanda, Rhodey, Clint. Spider-kid and Bug-boy didn’t come, so the jet was roomier than you’d expect. Press wanted Cap and Tony there, and Nat wasn’t going to let them have all the fun. And you know how much Bruce likes flying.”

 

Darcy shuddered. 

 

“Thor actually went to space about two days in, so I thought maybe he’d be here already.” Sam added.

 

“Nope. We thought he was still with you guys.”

 

Jane’s head poked up at the mention of Thor. “He’s back?” 

 

Darcy hated to crush the hope in her eyes. “No, not yet. Only a few are back right now.”

 

Jane drooped, “Oh, ok,” and went right back to work.

 

Sam was still studying Darcy, who became self-conscious when she noticed. He leaned his elbows on the desk and asked softly, “Now, what’s really going on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this came about because one of my sims got pregnant out of wedlock and my brain started writing her a backstory and how he was going to marry her before the kid was born because of reasons and then brain said "hey, Darcy. Steve. you like them. This them" regardless of the fact that the girl what the whitest white-blond to exist and he was all tall dark and handsome. Brain be doin brain things, I guess. Tell me to stuff it if it's shite. Idk how often I'll update. This is actually a terrible time for me to decide to write a thing.


	2. Chapter 2

They were in Darcy’s apartment, sipping tea to alleviate the heavy silence. For once, Sam couldn’t think of anything to say. Darcy was glad for the quiet, because the longer it went on, the more she could convince herself she didn’t just inform someone of consequence she was carrying Captain America’s child.

 

“And Steve doesn’t know?”

 

“Nope. Didn’t know how to contact him. Didn’t know if I should yet.”

 

He nodded, understanding. Silence again.

 

Sam suddenly jerked his tea from his lips. “Does this have caffeine in it?!” He exclaimed.

 

Darcy groaned and pushed her mug away. “That’s a thing, isn’t it. This is going downhill fast, and I thought it hit bottom a while ago.”

 

Sam just barely refrained from making a joke about who’s hitting whose bottom, a joke he would have made at any other point in his life. “There’s always….yoga?” He offered. “Exercise is a good way to get the same effects.”

 

“Ugh. But at what cost?”

 

He laughed. “Well, what about decaf? Don’t underestimate the power of the placebo effect.”

 

“Sam. My best guy. My dude. You don’t realize how dependent I am on caffeine.”

 

“That’s...we can work on that. I mean, I assume you don’t mind my help?”

 

“Oh! Yeah, I could probably use a little help. Google only helps so much, you know? And gods, I don’t want to tell my mother! She’ll be up here faster than a blink, and then I’d also have to tell her I’m not a secretary, I’m basically still an intern, but like, with the Avengers, and then she’ll start yelling at me about lying to her and then there would be no way I could hide who the …. who’s the dad.” Darcy took a deep breath, overwhelmed again. “I’m … I’m gonna be a mom.”

 

Sam slapped his knees, frantically searching for something to distract her from the imminent waterworks. “I think you need a bigger apartment.”

 

Darcy’s wide eyes took in her space, from the cluttered living/dining room they were in, the attached kitchenette with dishes dumped in the sink, to the ajar bedroom door and the room beyond, laundry piling up since _it_ happened. “What’s wrong with here?”

 

An incredulous laugh burst from his mouth before he could stop it. “It’s barely big enough for you, Darce. Imagine adding another person to this place. Besides,” he adds, seeing her panicked expression return, “you should live closer to Jane and her lab. You’re literally living in the middle of the custodial quarters. Your clearance levels should put you a hell of a lot closer to everyone else.”

 

Darcy looks around, with new eyes. “But...How will I move all this? Is there even space for me up there?”

 

Sam grins. “Don’t you worry about that, darlin’.”

 

\--

 

Darcy stands in front of a wall of windows, looking out over the city. Like, actually _over_ it. She’s flabbergasted. _How did an intern score a view like this?_

 

 _By getting knocked up by a superhero_ , the snide voice in the back of her head helpfully supplied.

 

She ignored it.

 

She was baffled by the instant acceptance the others gave her. Sam made a call after Darcy gave her flustered agreement to change apartments. Wanda showed up with Vision in tow, carrying cardboard boxes, rolls of tape, and pulling a dolly. Most everything got packed by Darcy or Wanda - telekinetic superpowers are quite handy - and hauled to the elevator by the men. Everything made it into the apartment Darcy was currently doubting the existence of, put away neatly into the respective rooms or patiently waiting for her to finish unpacking. The others had gone for dinner, letting Darcy unpack in peace.

 

_I’ve got to be hallucinating. This isn’t real._

 

A knock sounded at the open door. Wanda stood leaning against the doorframe, smiling softly.

 

“Hey. Come on in; I’m still a bit of a mess though.”

 

Wanda joined her at the windows. “How long have you known?”

 

Startled, Darcy turned to her. “What do you mean?”

 

She looked pointedly at Darcy’s stomach and tapped her temple. “Children have different… signatures? They feel different. You are not far enough along to have a second signature, but your aura is different. It is expecting a big change, just as you are.”

 

Darcy blew out a breath. “Wow. So you’re like, the best pregnancy test I’ve had yet.” Seeing the other woman’s frown, she added, “No, that’s good. It’s hard for me to really believe this is happening, you know? Having a real person tell me this is a thing is surprisingly relieving.”

 

Wanda smiled. “Perhaps you want help unpacking? Or company?”

 

Darcy smiled back. “I would love company.”

 

\--

 

Sam, Wanda, and eventually Vision soon became regular visitors at Darcy’s new apartment, or rather, her “Playgirl Penthouse,” as she preferred to call it, despite the lack of qualification for either of those identifiers. Once Sam convinced her to stop mothering the scientists due to their proximity to explody things, it became the hotspot for fresh-baked goodies and surprisingly stellar decaffeinated coffee. While Sam and Wanda came for the company and delicious baked goods, Vision was fascinated by the tiny life growing within Darcy, and offers insight to typical fetus growth. It was as entertaining as it was unnerving.

 

A typical morning finds Darcy puttering in her kitchen, making Sam breakfast and Wanda brunch while the men sit on her counter-stools and Wanda - a self-proclaimed night owl and never up before 10 - is still cocooned safely in bed.

 

“At two months, the fetus is already forming organs and is approximately the size of a bean.” Vision’s proclamation cuts into the morning stillness with all the subtleness of a dull butterknife.

 

Sam choked down his mouthful of coffee, while Darcy thunked her head on the counter.

 

Either not understanding their reaction or not caring, Vision continues, “While still not being able to identify the sex of the fetus, it weighs about the same as a penny.”

 

Manic grin spreading across her face, Darcy looks up. “Thank you, Vision, for this insight. Me and the bean need to go to the bathroom now, so please tell Sam anything else you’ve learned about fetal development while I’m gone.”

 

“Wha- Hey! No! I, uh, I gotta get to the training field,” Sam stutters, launching off the stool and snagging his jacket before bolting through the door, almost bowling over Wanda as she shuffled into the room.

 

“What happened to him?” she asked sleepily, rubbing her shoulder.

 

“I couldn’t say,” the android replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still not making any promises about how often I'll be posting, but rest assured I haven't forgotten this. Good news is, I have a plan now. Bad news is, I'm still a grad student with poor planning abilities. We'll get there.


	3. Chapter 3

Jane, under an experimental Einstein-Rosenbridge-making-machine, holds out a hand. “Give me the  _ thingijig _ , would you?”

 

“The what, now?” a male voice asked.

 

Jane’s hand dropped to the floor in frustration. “Dammit, Darcy, you get me used to all these new words,” she shoves herself out from under the machine, “spoiling me with chatter and brownies,” grabs the tool she needed, “and then you disappear, leaving me with a replacement who can’t tell a  _ thingijig _ from a  _ whosit _ .”

 

As she scooted back under the table, the intern rolled his eyes. “I’m going to go check on Dr. Banner,” he called to her, and didn’t wait for a reply.

 

\--

 

The pregnancy seemed to be going well. Google - and Vision - have informed her that morning sickness usually happens two to eight weeks after conception, so Darcy feels confident she managed to skip that symptom all together, and boy is she excited about that. The last thing she wants is to add vomit on top of everything else she’s been working through. 

 

She slaps Vision on the shoulder as she walked past him to the communal kitchen. Since she was moved to an Avenger-adjacent floor, she’s taken to spending evenings watching movies on the Stark-sized TV and convincing any and everyone who passed through to stay and keep her company. Admittedly, the number of people who pass through are rather slim, but she had managed to convince Pepper to stay once, which Darcy considers a personal victory. 

 

Vision turned to look at her expectantly, not deigning to mention what should have been a powerful stinging sensation on his back. Inwardly, Darcy pouted; she’s been trying to get him to exhibit an emotional range greater than the average toaster, but so far she’s had no luck. 

 

So instead, she applies as much sarcasm as she can and says, “Thanks for mentioning how awful the boob changes are. That’s gotta be the worst part. They’re already big, I really don’t need them getting bigger. Ugh, and the tenderness! Why must pregnant people suffer so much!”

 

Vision recoiled slightly from her. “I was informed it was impolite to mention breasts to a woman when I had none of my own. I apologize if that was incorrect.”

 

Snagging a couple cookies and a banana, Darcy plops on the couch next to him. “Nah, dude, in most cases, you’d be right. I just figured, since you were giving me all that information on pregnancies anyways, you’d include everything. I mean, last week you told me it was plum-sized, but you didn’t want to tell me that one of the most common symptoms is bigger boobs and the occasional milk spill?”

 

“I...didn’t want to become overbearing.”

 

The laugh escaped before she could stop it. “Oh man, you hit that point a while ago. But it’s cool, I’ve actually gotten used to it. Whatcha got for me today? It’s week 12!”

 

“Congratulations. You have reached the end of the first trimester. Your fetus now appears entirely human, though proportions are still being grown into, as well as being incredibly small. It has also developed teeth and both finger- and toenails. Your chances of miscarriage are significantly less, and you should have gained approximately five pounds.”

 

Darcy’s jaw dropped. “Five pounds!”

 

“The weight is largely uterine liquid, though some can be attributed to the fetus. However, a good portion -”

 

“I’ve gained five pounds?! Where? My boobs? You can’t even really see the bump! I’m still wearing the same jeans!” 

 

“I fear I’ve overstepped.” The android’s inflection had not changed, though his face assumed the pattern of someone appearing concerned.

 

Darcy, standing and grabbing her stomach, continued to have a little freak-out. There’s no way she’s gained that much weight. Maybe two pounds? She has been eating a lot of cookies lately, but that’s because she bakes when she’s bored and she has to make sure she made good cookies. Besides, she read somewhere that calories gained from things you make yourself don’t count. Tumblr is usually right about those kinds of things, right? 

 

Behind her, the elevator doors  _ ding _ ed open. Without looking up, Darcy turned and asked, “I don’t look like I’ve gained weight, do I?”

 

The android sighed. “Darcy, by the time you deliver, you should have gained fifteen to twenty pounds in order for a healthy fetus to develop. Not gaining that weight means your baby will be malnourished and significantly underweight.”

 

A loud crash brought their attention back to whoever had just gotten off the elevator. Whipping her gaze from her  _ still pretty flat _ stomach, Darcy had enough time to see the white-shocked expression on Jane’s face before she was engulfed by Thor. 

 

“You are with child!” He picked her up and spun her around, grinning maniacally, before carefully placing her back on the floor. “Fortune smiles upon you! Who is the man lucky enough to win your affections?”

 

“Well, uh-“

 

“Darcy?” Jane’s head poked from around the side of Thor. “You’re pregnant?”

 

“Uh, yeah. Sorry for not saying anything earlier, but uh, Pep thought it would be better if I wasn’t near things that had a habit of exploding and Wanda and Sam and Vis were helping me move all my stuff up here - oh, have you seen the view? It’s so great! Oh! Anyways, yeah. Things kept happening and we got into a new rhythm and I’ve told literally no one but everyone seems to be finding out and I just… sorry I didn’t tell you?” Darcy ended meekly. “I promise I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”

 

“Oh Darcy.” Jane threw her arms around the other girl. “I was just worried. You doing ok?” 

 

“Me? Yeah, great. What about you? Thor’s back! How’s that going?”

 

“Yes! I have returned. Not even bilgesnipe could keep me away from my Jane.” The gooey look on their faces convinced Darcy she should probably make herself scarce soon. 

 

“Right. Well, you guys have fun. I’m going to...not be here.”

 

“Darce!” Jane called, seeming to have managed to avoid the siren call of her alien-boyfriend. “I’ve been needing to tell you, Thor’s been meaning to take me to Asgard again. Well, on purpose and scheduled this time, anyways. I was wanting to take you with me…” she trailed off, trying not to pointedly look at Darcy’s  _ still quite flat _ stomach.

 

Shocked, Darcy didn’t respond for a second. “Ah, uh, maybe next time? I should probably stay here, you know, and take care of the...plum.”

 

“'Plum'?”

 

“Yeah, it’s plum-sized now. A bit ago, I was calling it 'the bean'.”

 

“Yes, Lady Darcy should stay and be spoiled by her beau. Bifrost travel is not the safest for gestating women,” Thor announced. “I hope to schedule a date for you and your child and your… who is it’s father?... to join us on Asgard another day.”

 

“Yeah, who is he?” Jane chimed in.

 

Wide-eyed and heart beating fast, Darcy started backing towards the hallway. “Uh, yeah, another time sounds great! I would love to go, but, unfortunately, I still have to do lots of things here right now. Yes, must have the child first...tell the father...you know, just kinda busy right now. Kay, bye!” Darcy spun and bolted for her bedroom, slamming her door closed behind her. Breathing heavy, she listened for anyone following her, but couldn’t hear over the blood rushing in her ears.

 

Back in the common room, where Darcy’s movie was still paused and Vision still sat waiting on the couch, Thor and Jane glanced at each other. “‘Tell the father’?” Jane asked. “Is that what she said?”

 

Thor sighed. “Yes. It appears her beau does not know he left her in this state.”

 

Jane closed her eyes. “Darcy, I hope you know what you’re doing.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Sorry for the wait, I had a killer semester (grad school), but also couldn't figure out where I was wanting this chapter to go. Outlines ftw! Not really sure how often I'll be updating still, but rest assured, this is not forgotten!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Another chapter in the same day?   
> No, you're not hallucinating. I guess I wasn't done writing today.

_ I have something you want. _

 

The text was vaguely alarming for two reasons: Nat never sent threats she didn’t mean, and Steve had no idea what she was talking about.

 

_ Wats tht? _

 

_ Geez Steve. Text like an adult. _

 

_ no _

 

_ Is that how you’re going to talk to Darcy? _

 

_ Darcy? What does Darcy have to do with this? _

 

_ I told you. I have something you want. Nice grammar, btw. _

 

A knock sounded on Natasha’s door a short time later. Just to screw with him, she barely opened it a crack when she answered. “Oh hey, Steve. What are you doing here?”

 

He glared at the sliver of her face he could see. “Is she here? Why? How?”

 

Laughing at him, she let the door swing open. “No, Darcy’s not here. I have something almost as good.”

 

Steve’s entire posture drooped from the alarm leaving, but the wary curiousness remained. “What do you mean?”

 

“I have her number,” she said as she flashed her phone at him. 

 

“Her number.”

 

“Yep. Told you. Something you want.”

 

“How did you get her number?”

 

Natasha turned and walked further into her apartment, leaving the door open for Steve to follow her. 

 

“Nat. Nat, why do you have her number?” He shut the door behind him and followed, as he knew she expected he would. 

 

“You should know me better than that, Steve. I have it because it’s something you want. Don’t you think it would be something she wants too?”

 

“I-” he floundered. 

 

“You didn’t think of that.” She shook her head. “You’re infatuated. You’re too busy thinking about how much you like her that you aren’t even thinking about whether or not she likes you.” She held a hand out to him.

 

“Uh…”

 

“Your phone. Give it to me.”

 

Natasha deftly tapped in Darcy’s number, painstakingly extracted from Wanda, after the red-clad woman insisted on gaining Darcy’s permission. Sure, Nat thought that was nice, but unnecessary. Whether or not Darcy wanted to speak to Steve could have been determined when he contacted her. If he pestered her, Nat would have taken care of him.

 

She threw the phone back at him and herded him out her door. “Don’t take too long to talk to her. It’s been a while already.”

 

“Well, yeah, but what-” before he could finish - again - the door slammed in his face. 

 

“Tick tock!” he heard her shout through the door.

 

He stared at his phone, the beginnings of panic stirring in his gut.

 

\--

 

The flight was one of the smoothest he’s ever had, but he should have expected that from these people. It touched down with hardly a bump in an “undisclosed” location in Great Britain, though he knew it was dropping him off at the old Strategic Science Reserve base. Steve Roger’s old flame, Peggy Carter, was a top agent here before founding and being absorbed into what is now SHIELD. 

 

He knew this because he read the file. Multiple times.

 

The facility wasn’t as familiar as he thought it would be. 

 

As he passed through doors still emblazoned with the “S.S.R,” he tried to ignore how people stopped and stared as he walked by. One younger girl even dropped her pile of files and papers. If he were younger, if he wasn’t who he is now, he probably would have stopped and helped her pick them up, probably gotten her number, and had quite the evening with her: drinking, dancing, maybe more.

 

But he isn’t, and he didn’t.

 

While he understood the strategic benefits of using this particular facility, he was most likely the last person they wanted walking its halls. Somewhere, there may even be a poster with a blurry picture of his face on it, advertising the most wanted criminal of the last century. 

 

“Bucky! You made it!”

 

He tensed, but relaxed instantly as he recognized his voice. Turning, he managed to growl a “punk” before he was wrapped up in a hug that would have squashed a less capable person. 

 

“How’s Wakanda been? When I heard they got you fixed up in less than a week...well, we kept it from Stark because it was going to be an ego thing or a parent thing, and we didn’t really want to deal with it yet. But he’s good now, no worries.” Bucky levered a look at him, and Steve amended, “Ok, so he may still stay out of your way, but that’s a given with him. He doesn’t forgive quite as easily as the rest of us.”

 

“She had me out of the ice in less than two days, she told me.”

 

Steve’s brows raised suggestively. “She?”

 

“Shuri. The King’s younger sister.” This didn’t curb Steve’s enthusiasm, so he continued, “She’s sixteen.”

 

His leer turned into an expression of incredulousness. “A sixteen-year-old fixed you up in less than two days?”

 

Bucky cracked a grin finally. “Even got the death-trap Hydra called a prosthetic arm off me in that time.”

 

Steve pulled back and really looked at Bucky for the first time since their fateful meeting a few months ago. Sure enough, he was down a left arm. “And she didn’t replace it in those two days? Damn, she’s slacking.”

 

Bucky hit Steve’s shoulder with the fist he still had, then chuckled and threw it over his shoulders. “There’s the punk I know.”

 

Steve led him to his quarters, little more than a 2-room apartment, though roomier than Bucky was expecting. Living space flowed seamlessly into a small kitchen, filled with standard furniture with absolutely no defining features. Bucky assumed the bedroom would be defined the same way. A cell phone was dinging on the coffee table at regular intervals, then fell silent. 

 

“Ah! That would be mine…” Steve hastily picked it up and stuffed it in the back pocket of his cargo pants. 

 

Bucky studied him. The pink tinge creeping up his neck and covering his ears was a sign, as was the barest flicker of his eyes towards the small end table where he keeps what appears to be sketchbooks, that whatever he was hiding had to do with a dame. Bucky hid a small smile.  _ Some things never change. _

 

\--

 

“Steve. You take me up on that suggestion?” Nat had walked into the apartment, and Steve didn’t doubt she knew Bucky was supposed to be back today. 

 

The flush that he had just spent the last half hour denying returned, and he didn’t turn to her, but replied, “Yeah.”

 

Bucky hit him on the back of the head. “That’s no way to speak to a lady,” he chided.

 

Squinting at him, Steve turned to Nat. “Yes, dear, I have, indeed, followed your advice and contacted her.”

 

This time, Nat hit him. “Don’t call me that. And I’m glad. Finally. Get on with it.”

 

Bucky was looking back and forth between them. “Her? You finally find a girl, Steve?”

 

Natasha grinned at him, but it wasn’t remotely friendly. “Oh yes. Ready to play catch-up?”

 

\--

 

“So, let me get this right. You,” Bucky pointed at Steve, “have been drawing lewd pictures of this girl for months now, and only when Natalia gets you the poor girl’s number do you contact her? At least tell me you’re communicating how you feel about her?”

 

Steve mumbles something towards his toes.

 

“Of course not.” Bucky turns back to Nat. “Has he even met the poor woman?”

 

Natasha smirks. “I have it on good authority that those drawings are more memories than contemplation.”

 

“STEVEN!”

 

“Buck, it’s not like that -”

 

“STEVEN GRANT ROGERS!”

 

“I’m serious!”

 

“DIDN’T YOUR MOTHER RAISE YOU BETTER THAN THAT?!”

 

“Like you haven’t slept with random women?”

 

Bucky’s “rage” cracked and he started laughing. Even Natasha chuckled at them. Finally realizing that he tricked him into admitting something - and that Nat already knew who they were talking about - he figured he may as well continue.

 

“She...she’s beautiful. We had gone out to that bar in February… the Blue Rooftop?” At Nat’s nod, he continued, ignoring the gleam in her eye. “You had all made me the designated driver, exploiting the fact that I can’t get drunk, and left me to a night of sobriety. After a while, this brunette starts chatting me up, and I recognize her, but I don’t remember her name until she introduces herself.”  _ Lies, you could never forget her name. _ “She’s funny. She kept up with me, even though I know she had at least 3 drinks and was definitely wobbly.”

 

Bucky sobered instantly. “And you slept with her anyways?”

 

Steve’s eyes widened. “No! No, not till… Well, let me continue. She had only the three, ok? Said they were called an...AMF or something. Bright blue. Thought it was fitting, what with the name of the place. Said they were her favorite, because they taste like candy but would screw you up bad if you weren’t careful.”

 

Bucky’s fingers were tapping on the wooden armrest, and Steve tried to ignore the uneasy feeling it gave him.  _ I did nothing wrong! _

 

“Anyways, so, it’s about 4 in the morning, everyone had gotten back to the tower, and she and Foster had confused everyone with physics talk until it was just her and me left in the common room. Foster had called it a night and disappeared with Thor. Darcy called up a movie, insisted I’d like it, and was curled up so close to me that she may as well have been sitting on me.”

 

Bucky groaned. “Don’t tell me you did it right on the couch in the middle of everywhere.”

 

Hiding a smirk, Steve continued. “In case you were wondering, it was at least five hours since her last drink and she insisted she felt sober. And no, she led me to her room.”

 

At his pause, Natasha nudged his leg. “Well?”

 

He looked archly at her. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Uggggggh!” Darcy groaned and flopped on the couch. Four hours ago, she was all excited because Steve had her number! They were texting! He used complete sentences and impeccable grammar, which made her feel kind of inferior with all her “LOLs” but she was still so excited because he seemed just the same as at that party!

 

Now she hasn’t heard anything back from him in four hours and he should have been telling her about Bucky Barnes because he was supposed to be back tonight. 

 

She sat up.  _ Maybe he’s already back and the history books had it right and he’s actually gay and now dearest Bucko is going to sweep him off his feet again and - _ She shook her head. “Where did all that come from?”

 

A soft knock sounded on the door behind her. “Hey, Darce. Doing alright?”

 

With a small smile, she turned around.  _ Of course _ , she thought,  _ Wanda would be here when I’m thinking like this. _ But she said, “Yeah, just kinda tired, I guess. Steve and I were texting a bit ago, but he hasn’t responded in a while.”

 

Wanda took her hand and led her to her couch. Since receiving his first text that day - saying Natasha gave him her number and hoping it was ok to contact her - she’d been on cloud nine. Maybe he’s just been undercover. Radio silent, whatever. Natasha having her number was kinda scary, but if she gave it to Steve, she can’t be all that bad. 

 

She was trying hard not to think about how great of a boyfriend he’d be.

 

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

 

Wanda was surprisingly easy to talk to. She was always so calm, empathetic.  _ Maybe the mind powers are part of it,  _ she thought,  _ but I think I’d enjoy her company even without it. _

 

“You know Sargent Barnes was supposed to return from Wakanda today, right?”

 

“Yes. You know they’re five hours ahead of us, yeah? It’s very nearly evening there now. Most likely, their reunion ran into dinner, and he may get back to you before he goes to bed.”

 

Startled, Darcy looked at her. “How did you know…”

 

Wanda smiled. “Sometimes, I can read people easily. Natasha asked me for your number, now you are distressed. Sometimes, two and two add up to four.” 

 

Laughing at her obviousness, Darcy relaxed into the chair. “I guess I just like jumping to conclusions.”

 

“How are you, really?”

 

She sighed and thunked her head back. “I feel bloated. I’m starting to feel those five or however many pounds I’ve gained. I swear, it’s probably more than that. I’m feeling a little nauseous all the time now, but google said I should have skipped the morning sickness by now. I really hope it’s not one of those things that actually have no rhyme or reason. Oh, and I haven’t told my mom yet. I do think I may have finally kicked that caffeine addiction, though, so that’s a plus.”

 

Wanda reached over and rubbed her arm. “Most of that sounds pretty normal, for a pregnancy. How concerned are you about telling your mother?”

 

Rolling her head to look at her, she replied, “I haven’t even told her who I’m working for.”

 

\--

 

June, 14 weeks

 

Sam collected Bucky from the SSR base where small-scale Avenger missions were being spearheaded from, after dropping off Clint and Scott. Some bureaucrat had decided that the Avengers needed to be more mobile, so that the United States could not claim sole control over them. Despite the fact that most of its members actually  _ were _ American. Steve thought it was ridiculous. Natasha thought the idea had merit, but was stereotypically rigid and narrow-minded. 

 

Neither Bucky nor Sam would mention the flight across the Atlantic after the fact, but from the smug look Bucky would display whenever he was near Sam, Darcy and Wanda could conclude some shenanigans had occurred, and Bucky was the victor. Vision didn’t care, but as he was getting steadily closer to Wanda, he was more often than not roped into the discussion.

 

Bucky spent quite a bit of his first few days at the tower with Darcy. At first, he was stunned that  _ Steve _ could have attracted such a beautiful dame, but after spending three hours with her, he had to conclude they’re both stubborn idiots and would have eventually found their way to each other in any universe. He is decidedly  _ not _ surprised that Darcy made the first move. 

 

However, in the few short days he knew her, he could tell she was hiding something. Everyone else seemed tight-lipped about it too, meaning everyone else knew. 

 

He was decidedly not happy being left in the dark. 

 

Fortunately for him - and perhaps not for Darcy - he discovered the secret simply by overhearing her exclamation, “OMIGOD! I think it just kicked! Can it do that this early?” and Vision’s response, “Small flutters of kicks can occur this early in pregnancy, though they become more pronounced at week 16.”

 

Some quick math later, Bucky concluded that she was either pregnant with Steve’s child - a thought which caused his breath to catch in his throat - or she slept with any number of men at that time, any of which could be the father. 

 

He quickly discarded the second option. She was clearly infatuated with Steve, and he couldn’t imagine her as someone who sleeps around.

 

He also approached her directly after overhearing the decidedly not private conversation. “You’re pregnant.”

 

She lost all coloring, and meekly answered the question that wasn’t a question. “Yes.”

 

“Steve?”

 

A small nod. 

 

Bucky cracked a huge grin and grabbed her into a tight hug. “That’s amazing.”

 

Against her will, tears started leaking out of her eyes. She hugged him back as hard as she could. If she had a psychologist, she figured they would probably say she was substituting his acceptance and affection for the person she really wanted it from, but she didn’t care. 

 

\--

 

Darcy and Bucky quickly became fast friends, much to Sam’s displeasure. Darcy learned the best way to start a prank war between the two, and though they would never admit it, they soon became the kind of tight friends who always got into good-natured superiority contests. 

 

Avengers came and went. Whatever was going on overseas, they rotated through everyone fairly regularly. Steve has even once texted Darcy that he and Nat were back for a few days, but since it coincided with doctor’s appointments and her finally talking to her mom - who took it better than she was expecting - they didn’t actually meet up. 

 

When Steve and Natasha left again, taking Sam, Wanda, and Vision for a few weeks, Darcy worried that one of them would let something slip accidentally, but her fears were groundless. 

 

While they were gone, Darcy received a text from a number she didn’t have saved. 

 

_ You know, you probably ought to start reading pregnancy books. Google can only help so much. _

 

She had to read it a few times before she chanced a reply.  _ Uh, and what would you know about anything? _

 

_ I have three. Actually, I should get you in contact with Laura. She’d be more helpful than me.  _ The reply came instantly. 

 

_ Ok, who is this? _

 

_ Darcy, Darcy. Can’t you guess? _

 

She didn’t want to reply. Either some mind-reading jerk was pulling a prank on her, or someone with sneaky abilities figured it out. After the way everyone else around her has guessed correctly, she didn’t figure they had to be  _ good  _ spies. 

 

_ Aw, c’mon. It’s Clint, Darce _

 

_ Clint? Like, Hawkeye? _

 

_ The one and only _

 

_ How did you even figure me out??? _

 

_ Tsk. A father can always tell _

 

That sounded like bullshit, but he had a point. Maybe she  _ should _ get some info from actually people instead of just an algorithm.  _ I mean, mom never went the birthing route, but if Clint thinks his wife would want to talk to me about it... _ she thought. 

 

_ You know what? If she wants to gift me with motherly wisdom, I am all ears.  _

 

He didn’t reply, but the next morning, he and a beautiful brunette showed up at the tower, carrying a suspiciously large cardboard box and herding three children. 

 

“You must be Darcy! It’s so great to meet you.” The brunette introduced herself as Laura Barton, while Clint, carrying the small boy, shuffled the other two children towards the elevator while attempting to hide the box from Darcy. 

 

“Hi! Yeah, to be honest, I learned of your existence last night, and…” She was distracted by the box, but the doors closed and they were out of sight.

 

Laura laughed. “Yes, he’s like that. His heart is always in the right place, though, so I hope you’re not too upset with him.”

 

“Upset? No, this is great, really. Mom’s kinda far away...I mean, relatively, but I was also adopted, so I’m not really sure how much I can ask her, you know?” 

 

“Oh, of course! Why don’t we get settled, and we can talk all about it? Do you know how far along you are?”

 

Poking the number for her floor in the elevator, she responds, “about 15 or 16 weeks.” 

 

Laura grins at her. “Do you keep the number written on the calendar?”

 

Darcy glances at the other woman sharply. “How did you know?”

 

Laura just laughs. “I did too. If you plan on a second, you’ll keep decent track of the time then too. By the third..well, I figured it would happen when it happened. Doctors could be more specific if they wanted, but it’s hard to forget when you’re growing life inside you.” 

 

Blinking, Darcy feels like she just had an out of body experience.  _ A second child? A third? I just want to get through this one!  _ Emotions are rolling through her unchecked. On the one hand: a relationship with Steve. Having a partner for this experience.  _ Having world-changing sex with him again. _ Being in lo-  _ stop.  _

 

On the other hand: what is she doing? This one wasn’t planned. She barely has a job here as it is, now she’ll have to raise a baby. Imagine doubling that! Or tripling!  _ Imagine telling Steve he is going to be a father.  _ Darcy can feel the beginnings of panic solidifying in her gut, the edges of her vision starting to fade.  _ What if he doesn’t want this. What if I was just supposed to be a bit of fun? That’s all I promised him that night. We used freaking condoms! This should never have happened.  _

 

A flurry of soft blows on the inside of her belly derailed her train of thought, and a hand rose subconsciously to the spot. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath through her nose.  _ It’s going to be ok. Think of the ...smallish fruit-size thing you’re growing. The bean. The plum. Pomegranate? It needs you to be calm. You can do this.  _

 

“Oh, is it kicking?” Laura noticed her movement, but had the grace to not mention what was probably pretty obvious panic. “Do you know what your having, yet?”

 

Guiding Laura’s hand to the next thumping location, she replied, “No, I told them I didn’t want to know yet. I’m probably a sap, but I wanted to be surprised. Or at least, if I got too curious, I promised myself to tell him before I find out. Kind of a moving deadline, I guess.”

 

Laura’s eyes lit up at the feeling beneath her hand. “Tell him? Ah,” her mouth turned wry, “he must have left pretty much immediately afterwards. And you weren’t really an item yet, right?”

 

Darcy snorted. “No, not yet.”

 

The elevator finally let them off, and Darcy finally saw what Clint was trying to hide. Well, kind of. In the middle of the living space/lobby, he was attempting to reconstruct what looked like a homemade cradle. Unfortunately, he was hardly half-finished, hindered by the three kids playing with the various pieces or hanging off his arms. 

 

Looking up, he smiled sheepishly. “Uh, surprise?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought it may be fitting to have this up before Father's Day. 
> 
> Its going! Tell me what you think! I love all your feedback <3


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